Escutcheon with key guide



Aug. 14, 1951 F. MARTIN 2,563,950

ESCUTCHEON WITH KEY GUIDE Filed Oct. 12, 1948 Patented Aug. 14, 1951UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ESCUTCHEON WITH KEY GUIDE Fred Martin,Cleveland, Ohio Application October 12, 1948, Serial No. 54,044

-1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in key guides, that is to saymeans for guiding a door key into the key slot of a door lock,especially a door lock of the cylinder type and one calling for the useof a flat key. The key guide unit of the present invention is adaptedfor installation by an unskilled person and calls for the use of notools other than a screwdriver and a small drill in case the door isbuilt of hardwood.

One of the objects of the invention therefore is the provision of a keyguide of the character stated having few parts of simple construction.

Another object is the provision of a guide carried by an escutcheonplate which may be attached to the door around the forward end of acylinder lock to bring the guide into alignment with the key slot in thelock.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear asI proceed with thedescription of that embodiment of the invention which, for the purposesof the present application, I have illustrated in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a fragment of a wooden door withmy key guide attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same, the key guide being in verticalsection.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view with the parts shown in vertical section, and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of the guide from the rear.

In the drawing I have shown the key guide of the invention applied overa cylinder lock I installed in a wooden door, a fragment of which isillustrated at H. Cylinder locks of the general type illustrated in somecases lie flush with the surface of the door and in some cases protrudesomewhat, as illustrated herein. I provide an escutcheon of sheet metalso formed as to overlie the cylinder lock in any case. To this end theescutcheon may include a circular plate l2 which is preferably flat anda rim l3 offset rearwardly from the plate by means of a series ofterraced corrugations or otherwise. The rim i3 is provided with a seriesof holes 14 to receive wood screws l5 for attaching the escutcheon to adoor.

In the plate I! there is formed a round opening [6 shown herein aseccentrically positioned in the plate. This opening receives the keyguide proper, which may be formed from bar stock as a screw machineproduct or may be made as a die casting. It comprises a cylindrical bodyll of a diameter to fit loosely within the circular opening l6. Thisbody is provided with a concavity it which serves to guide the key to acentral position when it is inserted into 2 the guide. The body also hasa slot 19 therethrough of the proper size to receive the key, indicatedin broken lines at K in Fig. 2. The bottom of the concavity merges withthis slot, so that when the key enters the concavity it is directed intoand through the slot l9.

At the rear of the body there is a peripheral flange 20, so that whenthe guide is inserted into the opening Hi from the rearthe flange 20bears against the plate 12. A peripheral groove ii is formed in the bodyat the proper distance from flange 20 so that when a split spring ring22 is snapped into position in the groove the ring will overlie theplate I2, as illustrated in Fig. 2, but will permit the body I! to turnfreely in the plate [2 when the key is inserted into the lock and turnedto operate the lock.

The installation of the guide upon a door is very readily effected. Thekey is inserted through the key guide into the door lock. The escutcheonis thereby properly positioned with respect to the lock. The screws l5may then be driven through the holes it into the door, and the guidebody I! will thus be centered with respect to the lock and the key slotin the lock.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In combination, an escutcheon plate having a central portion and a rimofiset rearwardly therefrom, whereby the central portion is adapted toclear a cylinder lock projecting from the surface of a door, said rimhaving holes therethrough for the reception of fastenings, said centralportion having a circular opening therein, a key guide rotatably mountedin said opening and spaced forwardly from said rim, said guide having ahemispherical concavity in its forward face and a key slot through saidguide of a width no greater than the diameter of said concavity, mergingwith said concavity, said concavity and said slot being adapted to takea fiat key of a width less than the diameter of the concavity, wherebywhen the forward end of such a key is projected into saidconcavityfurther pressure on the key will direct it into said slot.

FRED MARTIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 234,002 Dickerman Nov. 2, 1880242,861 Barnes et a1 June 14, 1881 243,029 Woolaston June 14, 18811,437,878 Aldeen Dec. 5, 1922 1,949,406 Beach Mar. 6, 1934

